Roundcube complete guide: from beginner to expert

Roundcube is the most widely used open-source webmail client in the world. Almost every hosting provider offers Roundcube as its standard webmail interface. In this in-depth guide you'll learn everything about Roundcube: from the basics to advanced features that boost your productivity.

History of Roundcube

Roundcube was started in 2005 by Thomas Bruederli as a modern alternative to the outdated webmail interfaces of the time. The project began as a personal challenge to make webmail as user-friendly as desktop email programs.

The name "Roundcube" refers to the round, minimalist logo that stands for simplicity. In 2015 the project joined the Kolab consortium, which provided stable funding and continued development.

Today Roundcube runs on millions of servers worldwide. Hosting providers large and small choose Roundcube for its combination of functionality, reliability and the fact that it is free.

What is Roundcube?

Roundcube is a web-based email client written in PHP. It fetches your mail over IMAP and sends it over SMTP. You can compare it to a browser version of Outlook or Thunderbird.

Key features:

• Open source and free to use
• Runs on almost any web server with PHP
• Modern interface with drag-and-drop
• Extensible with plugins
• Supports many languages, including Dutch

Roundcube is not an email server itself. It is an interface for accessing your existing email through a web browser.

How to log in to Roundcube

From your hosting control panel

Most hosting providers offer a direct link to Roundcube from the control panel:

DirectAdmin:

1. Log in to DirectAdmin
2. Click "E-mail" or "Webmail"
3. Choose Roundcube from the available options
4. You are logged in right away

cPanel:

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to "Email Accounts"
3. Click "Check Email" next to your email address
4. Select Roundcube

Plesk:

1. Log in to Plesk
2. Go to "Mail" → "Email Addresses"
3. Click the webmail icon next to your address

Directly by URL

You can also open Roundcube directly with a URL:

• https://webmail.yourdomain.com
• https://yourdomain.com/roundcube
• https://mail.yourdomain.com

The exact URL depends on your hosting configuration.

Logging in

1. Enter your full email address as the username
2. Enter your email password
3. Click "Login"

Top 5 Roundcube features

1. Drag-and-drop interface - Drag emails into folders, add attachments by dragging them in
2. Powerful search - Search all folders, filter by sender, subject or date
3. Identity management - Send mail from multiple addresses with one account
4. Filter rules - Automatically sort, tag or forward mail
5. Plugin system - Extend it with a calendar, tasks, a spell checker and more

Advanced features

Folder structure

Roundcube supports an extensive folder structure:

• Inbox - Incoming mail
• Sent - Copies of mail you sent
• Drafts - Unfinished emails
• Spam/Junk - Filtered unwanted mail
• Trash - Deleted mail
• Your own folders - Create folders yourself to stay organized

Tip: Create folders for projects, clients or topics to keep your inbox tidy.

Identities and signatures

With identities you can set up multiple sender addresses:

1. Go to Settings → Identities
2. Click "Create"
3. Fill in the details you want:
   • Display name
   • Email address
   • Organization
   • Reply-to address
   • Signature

Your signature can contain plain text or HTML. Add your contact details, a logo or a legal disclaimer.

Filter rules

Automate how your mail is handled with filter rules:

Example rules:

• Mail from clients automatically into the "Clients" folder
• Newsletters into the "Read later" folder
• Mail with "invoice" in the subject flagged as important
• Notifications from certain services deleted right away

Go to Settings → Filters to create rules.

Address book and contacts

Roundcube has built-in contact management:

• Import contacts from CSV or vCard
• Create contact groups for mailing lists
• Sync with external address books via CardDAV
• Autocomplete while typing addresses

Searching your mail

The search function is powerful:

• Search the current folder or all folders
• Filter by: sender, recipient, subject, body
• Combine search criteria
• Sort results by date, size or relevance

Keyboard shortcuts

Work faster with keyboard shortcuts:

Where Roundcube shines

No installation needed

As a user you don't have to install anything. Your hosting provider takes care of it all. Open a browser, log in, and you can start emailing.

Privacy

Unlike webmail from Google or Microsoft, your mail is not scanned for advertising. Your data stays on your hosting provider's server.

Consistent experience

Roundcube works the same on every computer and browser. Whether you are at home, at the office or on the road, the interface is identical.

Open source

The code is public and is reviewed by thousands of developers. Security issues are found and fixed quickly.

Drawbacks of Roundcube

Depends on hosting quality

Roundcube itself is fast and reliable. But if your hosting provider uses slow or overloaded servers, you notice it right away in your webmail experience.

Limited offline options

Roundcube only works with an internet connection. There is no offline mode like in desktop email programs.

Mobile experience

Although Roundcube is responsive, it is less pleasant to use on a phone than a native mail app. For mobile use it is better to set up IMAP on your phone.

Default configuration

Many hosting providers install Roundcube with default settings. Advanced plugins and features often have to be enabled separately.

No built-in calendar

Calendar functionality is only available through plugins. Not every hosting provider has them installed.

5 common problems with Roundcube

1. Can't log in

Symptom: "Login failed" or "Connection to server failed"

Solution:

• Check your email address and password
• Use your full email address (including @domain.com)
• Check whether your mail server is online
• Ask your hosting provider for the correct settings

2. Sending mail fails

Symptom: "SMTP error" or "Could not send message"

Solution:

• Check that SMTP authentication is enabled
• Check the SMTP server settings with your provider
• Reduce the size of attachments
• Try sending without an attachment to isolate the problem

3. Uploading attachments fails

Symptom: The upload stops or shows an error

Solution:

• Check the maximum upload size (often 25MB)
• Try a smaller file
• Use a different browser
• Ask your hosting provider about PHP upload limits

4. Spam filter isn't working

Symptom: Too much spam in your inbox, or legitimate mail in spam

Solution:

• Mark spam manually to train the filter
• Check your server-side spam settings in the control panel
• Set up filter rules for known spam senders
• Ask your provider about the SpamAssassin configuration

5. The interface is slow

Symptom: Long loading times, delayed responses

Solution:

• Archive old mail or move it into folders
• Empty your trash and spam folders
• Use a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
• Ask your provider about server performance

When to choose Roundcube

Roundcube is the ideal choice if you:

• Have web hosting and want a webmail interface
• Value privacy and don't want to use Google/Microsoft
• Use several computers and want to reach your mail from anywhere
• Want a simple but powerful mail interface
• Want the flexibility of your own domain name

Comparing Roundcube hosting

Frequently asked questions

Can I install Roundcube on my own server? Yes, Roundcube is open source and free to download from roundcube.net. You need a web server with PHP and a database (MySQL or PostgreSQL).

Does Roundcube sync with my phone? Not directly. Roundcube reads your mail over IMAP, which is the same mail your phone can fetch. Changes (read, deleted, moved) are synchronized through IMAP.

Can I manage multiple email addresses in Roundcube? Yes, with identities you can set up multiple sender addresses. To use fully separate mailboxes, you need separate logins.

Is Roundcube secure? Roundcube itself is secure and is updated regularly. Security also depends on your hosting provider, so choose SSL/TLS connections and strong passwords.

What is the difference between Roundcube and Outlook? Roundcube is open-source webmail that runs on your own hosting. Outlook is Microsoft's email client (desktop) or webmail service (Outlook.com). With Roundcube you have more control and privacy.